Chapter 519: Purple Light

After a while, Adam leaned back in his seat and glanced at Azrynn, who was still holding the reins with both hands.

"So, how’s the driving going?"

Azrynn looked at him briefly before returning her attention to the road.

"Better than before, I think."

"That’s good. At least we’re not jumping over rocks anymore."

Azrynn’s ears twitched, and she shot him a mildly offended look.

"You don’t have to remind me."

Adam chuckled.

"Hey, I’m just saying. It’s progress."

She let out a small sigh, though the corners of her mouth lifted slightly.

"You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?"

"A little."

Azrynn shook her head, but she couldn’t quite hide her smile. She adjusted the reins as the road curved around a stretch of open grassland.

She gazed at the vast grassland stretching before them, her expression softening as the morning breeze brushed against her face.

"The outside world really is beautiful, isn’t it?"

Adam leaned back in his seat, letting the wind sweep through his purple hair as he looked out at the scenery.

"Yeah," he replied with a faint smile. "The world really is beautiful."

Azrynn continued watching the scenery as the carriage rolled along the road. The grass swayed gently in the breeze, and the distant hills stretched beneath the clear blue sky. For someone who had spent so much of her life surrounded by the Wasteland, even an ordinary morning like this felt strangely precious.

"I wish I could have seen this sooner," she murmured.

Adam glanced at her.

"You could always travel more once we’re done with everything."

Azrynn turned toward him, looking slightly surprised.

"Really?"

"Why not? It’s not like the world’s going anywhere."

Azrynn looked at him for a moment before turning her gaze back to the grassland. A small smile appeared on her face.

"Then promise me we’ll see the world together someday. Of course, my village will have to move here first."

Adam rested one hand behind his head and leaned back in his seat, looking as relaxed as ever.

"Yeah, sure. Once everything is settled, I promise."

Azrynn’s smile widened slightly.

"Really? You’d better keep that promise."

"Yeah, yeah. I will."

Adam chuckled before glancing at her again.

"Speaking of which, how are things with the others? Have you gotten along with everyone?"

Azrynn thought about it for a moment as she guided the horses along the road.

"They’re all nice, and I think I’ve gotten pretty close to everyone. But Lilith and Isolde are a little harder to approach."

Adam raised an eyebrow.

"Why’s that?"

Azrynn’s ears drooped slightly.

"Maybe because we didn’t get off to a good start..." She hesitated before continuing. "I mean, I was the one who wanted to use them as sacrifices back then."

Adam blinked, then let out a quiet laugh.

"That’s what you’re worried about?"

Azrynn glanced at him.

"Isn’t that a good reason?"

"Not really. I think you’re just overthinking it."

"Really?"

"Yeah. That’s just how they are."

Adam stretched his shoulders, looking completely unconcerned.

"Especially Lilith. She’s always finding ways to annoy people, so don’t take it personally."

Azrynn stared at him for a moment before a small laugh escaped her lips.

"You’re talking about your own partner, you know?"

"I know. That’s why I can say it."

Azrynn shook her head, smiling as she turned her attention back to the road.

"I suppose you have a point."

"Of course I do."

Adam grinned and leaned back in his seat again.

"Besides, if they really had a problem with you, you’d know about it by now."

Azrynn’s expression softened a little at his words. She looked ahead at the endless grassland, feeling some of the lingering worry in her chest begin to fade.

"...I hope you’re right."

Adam held out his hand toward Azrynn.

"Alright, shift change. I’ll take over from here."

Azrynn nodded and carefully handed him the reins.

"Thank you."

Once Adam had taken control of the horses, Azrynn settled back into her seat. However, her relaxed expression didn’t last long. Her pointed ears suddenly twitched, turning toward the surrounding grassland as if she had caught a sound too faint for ordinary ears to notice.

Her expression grew serious.

"Adam, we’re surrounded."

Adam smiled faintly as he guided the horses to a stop.

"I know."

Adam casually brought the carriage to a halt beside the road, his eyes sweeping across the seemingly empty grassland.

Azrynn raised one hand, and purple light began to gather around her fingers. Intricate runes appeared in the air, glowing softly before spreading outward. The symbols twisted together, forming several small birds made entirely of purple energy.

With a gentle flap of their luminous wings, the birds scattered in different directions, flying low over the grassland as they searched the surrounding area.

Adam watched them with raised eyebrows.

"Hoo, so you can do that too?"

Azrynn kept her attention on the birds, her expression slightly uncertain.

"These are runes I’ve only recently learned. I’m still figuring out how to use them, so I’m not sure how effective they’ll be."

"Well, that’s certainly useful."

Adam leaned back slightly, looking rather pleased.

"Guess I don’t have to worry about you getting bored on the road anymore."

Adam glanced over his shoulder toward Seraphina’s carriage. She had apparently sensed the ambush as well, her expression growing serious as she looked toward the surrounding grassland.

"Don’t worry. We’ll take care of it," Adam called out calmly.

Seraphina met his gaze and nodded, trusting him to handle the situation.

Adam turned back toward Azrynn, who was still monitoring the purple birds as they flew across the grassland.

"Have you found them yet?"

Azrynn narrowed her eyes, concentrating on the information flowing back through her runes. The purple birds circled over the grassland, their glowing forms occasionally disappearing behind the tall grass before reappearing farther away.

"Almost..."

A moment later, one of the birds suddenly burst into purple sparks.

Azrynn’s ears twitched.

"Found them. There are people hiding in the grass, surrounding us from several directions. I can sense at least twenty, but there might be more."

Adam raised an eyebrow.

"Twenty? That’s quite a welcoming party."

"Adam, they’re armed. Some of them are carrying bows, and I can sense mana gathering around several others."

"Ah, so they’re not just ordinary bandits."

Adam smiled faintly and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

"Any idea who they are?"

Azrynn shook her head.

"Not yet. They’re keeping their faces covered, and I can’t get a clear look at their equipment from this distance."

Adam nodded before glancing toward the grassland.

"That’s fine. We’ll ask them when they come out."

As if they had heard him, several figures suddenly rose from the tall grass. More followed from the other directions, gradually revealing themselves until the road was blocked on all sides.

Some carried swords and spears, while others held bows already aimed at the carriages. Their equipment was varied, but their movements suggested that they had worked together before.

One of the men stepped forward. He wore a dark cloak and carried a long sword at his waist.

"Everyone out of the carriages! Leave your weapons behind, and perhaps we’ll let you walk away with your lives!"

Adam stared at him for a moment.

Then he glanced at Azrynn.

"Did he just threaten us?"

Azrynn looked at the armed men surrounding them, then back at Adam.

"Yes, I believe he did."

The man in the cloak frowned at their casual conversation.

"What are you waiting for? Get down!"

Adam sighed and finally climbed off the carriage, stretching his arms as though he had stopped simply to take a break from the journey.

"Alright, alright. I’m coming."

He looked around at the men surrounding them, counting their numbers with a casual glance.

"Twenty or so people just to rob a couple of carriages? You must be having a really bad year."

"Shut your mouth!" the man barked. "Get on your knees!"

The man’s expression darkened.

"Kill him!"

Several arrows flew toward Adam at once.

But before the arrows could reach him, they stopped in midair.

Adam hadn’t even moved. He merely stood beside the carriage, looking at the arrows suspended a few inches from his face.

Then he flicked his fingers.

Every arrow shot backward, landing in the ground at the archers’ feet.

Adam looked toward the cloaked man and smiled. "Now, then. Why don’t we try that again? Who are you people, and why are you attacking us?"

For a moment, the bandits remained silent. They had expected their arrows to pierce the man’s body, not stop in midair before being sent back to the ground. A few of them instinctively took a step backward, their confidence shaken by what they had just witnessed.

Their leader, however, merely clicked his tongue.

"Tch. So you’ve got a few tricks up your sleeve. No matter. Hand over your valuables, and we might let you leave with your lives."

His gaze then shifted to the woman standing beside Adam.

Azrynn’s unusual appearance immediately caught his attention. Her exotic skin, pointed ears, and striking features made her look like someone from a race rarely seen by ordinary people. The longer he stared, the wider his grin became.

"Well, well. What do we have here?" he muttered, licking his lips. "I’ve never seen a woman like her before."

Several of the other bandits followed his gaze. Their expressions quickly changed as they began eyeing Azrynn with undisguised greed and lust.

"She’s a rare one, isn’t she?" one of them said. "I bet someone in the slave market would pay a fortune for a beauty like that."

"Forget the money," another added with a lecherous grin. "I’d like to have some fun with her first."

Their leader laughed at the suggestion. "Now that’s an idea. A woman with looks like hers must be worth more than all the junk in those carriages combined. If we sell her to the right buyer, we’ll be rich for the rest of our lives."

Azrynn listened to their remarks without changing her expression, though the purple runes around her fingers began to glow faintly.

"Adam," she said calmly, turning her head toward him. "May I handle this?"

Adam glanced at her, then at the group of bandits who were still busy discussing how much they could sell her for.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

"Go ahead."

"Thank you."

Azrynn stepped forward, her expression remaining as composed as ever.

The bandit leader raised an eyebrow before bursting into laughter. "What’s this? The little beauty thinks she can fight us? Go on, sweetheart. Put up a good struggle. It’ll make catching you more interesting."

Azrynn tilted her head slightly.

"Is that so?"

Purple light spread across the ground beneath her feet. The runes floating around her fingers multiplied, forming intricate patterns in the air.

The bandits’ laughter gradually faded.

Azrynn looked at them with cold eyes.

"Then I hope you won’t complain when it hurts."